Ants are constantly foraging for food sources. They get attracted to those places providing them with ample food and water supplies. Your restaurant is not an exception.
Nothing can spoil a diner’s experience and your reputation when they see the ants scurrying on the floor and inside the patron’s food.
There are several reasons for an ant infestation inside your beloved restaurant. Also, there are several ways to solve the ant problems and remove them from your restaurant.
Below we have mentioned few ways to keep your restaurant ant-free:
Track the location:
Ants are tiny creatures. They will squeeze their way from the holes, cracks, and other damages to enter your kitchen. Ants may construct their nests inside these cracks and holes, which means the infestation source is inside the restaurant.
Make sure to pinpoint all the damages and perform the necessary repairs. For instance, replace damaged stripping, seal the cracks and holes, and fix any gaps.
After taking all the steps, if you still have a sight of an ant scurrying around the kitchen area, the chances are that you have missed the entry point.
Create an ant trap to eliminate the ants from their entry points. Place the dishes with some sugar so that the ants are attracted. Check the plates and ant trails in the morning. Follow the ant trails and check the entry points of the ants and repair them.
Create a new cleaning protocol:
Encourage all the restaurant employees to clean the restaurant even more thoroughly to clean up any spills or messes immediately to avoid attracting ants. Create a daily cleaning protocol to clean the kitchen regularly:
- Clean fryers.
- Clean grease traps and stove hoods.
- Filter the dishwasher.
- Wipe the surroundings of the kitchen preparation stands.
- Clean and sanitize all the chopping boards, sinks, meat slicers, and faucets.
- Wipe and clean all the chairs and tables.
- Wipe the condiment dispenser and menus.
- Regularly sweep and mop the entire restaurant daily.
- Clean all the floor mats.
Make sure to clean the walls of the restaurants once a week. Clean and throw off the garbage bins regularly.
Store food correctly:
Store the condiments, dry goods, and other kitchen food items correctly in the airtight containers. Here are a few tips for storing restaurant food to keep it ant-free:
- Store foods in airtight jars:
Choose polycarbonate or polypropylene containers to store the food. Encourage the employees to shut the lid tightly after using the food items.
- Store foods off the floor:
Try to store the food off the floor by purchasing shelving units. The containers will be easily accessible and help protect from ant infestation.
- Replace damaged food containers:
If the lid or seal of the food container is damaged or broken, throw away the containers. Replace with the new containers.
Wipe down the shelving units every day. Teach the staff to keep the storage areas and containers clean. Throw away the food immediately if they found the ants scurrying inside the containers.
Contact professional for help:
Don’t allow to affect your restaurant’s reputation by these pesky pests. Call the professional pest control experts immediately if you are unable to solve the ant infestation.
